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Liquid concentration control supply apparatus

Liquid concentration control supply apparatus description/claims

The present invention relates to a liquid concentration control and supply apparatus, more particularly a kind of liquid concentration control and supply apparatus that uses the feedback of liquid level detection and concentration detection information to control the liquid concentration desired.

In the prior art, the control of fuel concentration in a fuel cell mostly uses a simple concentration detector that conducts passive detection, which does not allow the replenishing of fuel in a timely manner to keep the fuel concentration at a certain level. In a fuel cell the fuel concentration drops after cell reacts with the fuel. If the fuel concentration is not effectively controlled afterwards, the reaction membrane in the fuel cell will not be able to provide adequate output energy. When not much energy supply is needed, high fuel concentration will damage the reaction membrane in the cell, thereby producing adverse effect on the fuel cell.

In light of the drawbacks of conventional fluid measuring devices, the inventor develops an improved capacitance-type level meter coupled with a liquid concentration detector that allows the fuel concentration in a fuel cell to stay constant. Such configuration can effectively control the fuel concentration in a fuel cell, thereby offering the advantage of controlling fuel concentration more accurately as compared with the prior art. The present invention not only accurately detects the concentration of fuel in the fuel cell, it can also work as an apparatus that replenishes the fuel when fuel concentration becomes insufficient.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a liquid concentration control and supply apparatus which utilizes a liquid level information and concentration information feedback mechanism to control the concentration of liquid supplied to a reaction apparatus for chemical reaction within a specific range.

Another object of the invention is to provide a liquid concentration control and supply apparatus that can recover the reaction products from the reaction apparatus to regulate the concentration of liquid needed by the reaction apparatus.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a liquid concentration control and supply apparatus used in a reaction apparatus, where the reaction apparatus can be a fuel cell system, for the control of fuel concentration and fuel supply.

A further object of the invention is to provide a liquid concentration control and supply apparatus that can recover the water in the reaction products of fuel cell and transport it to itself, thereby regulating the concentration of liquid fuel needed by the fuel cell.

To achieve the aforesaid objects, the present invention provides a liquid concentration control and supply apparatus used in a reaction apparatus and for controlling the concentration of liquid fed into the reaction apparatus for undergoing chemical reaction. The liquid concentration control and supply apparatus comprises a liquid mixing device, a liquid level sensor, a liquid transport device, a liquid concentration detector, a liquid storage device, and a control element. The control element controls the operating steps of the liquid concentration control and supply apparatus, comprising detecting the mixed liquid concentration in the liquid mixing device; detecting the height of mixed liquid level in the liquid mixing device; determining whether the mixed liquid concentration falls within a lag range referencing to the preset concentration value, and based on the information on the mixed liquid concentration and the mixed liquid level, computing the anticipated height of mixed liquid level after the amount of liquid that needs to be output by the liquid storage device is fed to the liquid mixing device and controlling the output of liquid from the liquid storage device so that the height of mixed liquid level in the liquid mixing device reaches the anticipated height of mixed liquid level; the control element stopping the output of replenishing liquid by the low-concentration storage tank in the liquid storage device; and when the mixed liquid concentration falls within the lag range referencing to the preset concentration value, detecting the liquid concentration with the liquid concentration detection sensor.

Moreover, the reaction apparatus can be a fuel cell device. Thus the liquid concentration control and supply apparatus of the invention can supply the fuel needed by the electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell device and recover the water produced after the fuel cell device has undergone electrochemical reaction.

The objects, features and effects of the invention are described in detail below with embodiments in reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a component diagram of the liquid concentration control and supply apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the liquid concentration control and supply apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for the operating steps of the liquid concentration control and supply apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the liquid concentration control and supply apparatus according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for the operating steps of the liquid concentration control and supply apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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